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Federal water data

County water report

Carteret County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Carteret County, North Carolina.

Water grade

C

Water score

55.1

State rank

#45

of 100

Health violations

7

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

62

10,551 recent measurements

Live streamflow

No gauge

Primary USGS station not mapped

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Carteret County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

C

Score: 55.1 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

7

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

Primary USGS gauge not mapped

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

62

10,551 recent readings

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

C

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

55.1/100

Health violations

7

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

10.4

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Carteret County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Carteret County's drinking water earned a C grade, scoring 55.1 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 7 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Monitoring Network

EPA WQP

EPA's Water Quality Portal (WQP) aggregates monitoring data from federal, state, and tribal agencies. Carteret County has extensive coverage with 62 active monitoring sites with 10,551 recent measurements on record. Predominant monitoring categories include microbiological and physical. More monitoring sites generally indicate greater scientific attention to local water conditions — and provide the baseline data that regulators use to set future impairment listings.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Carteret County

Water Verdict

Carteret County, North Carolina receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 55.1 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

EPA SDWIS records for Carteret County, North Carolina show 7 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 10.4 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues. This compliance record sits alongside an unusually deep monitoring archive: 10,551 water-quality results have been logged across the county in the EPA Water Quality Portal over the past five years.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Carteret County meets baseline standards but the compliance record shows room for improvement, with a Grade C rating. Carteret County's drinking-water compliance score is 55.1 out of 100. The violation rate for Carteret County is 10.4 per 100,000 people served. Residents who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or have young children may benefit from using an NSF 53-certified filter. Contacting your local utility for the current Consumer Confidence Report will confirm which specific violations were recorded and whether they have been resolved. With 62 active water-quality monitoring sites in Carteret County, data coverage is strong.

Regional Context

Carteret County has water quality close to the average county in North Carolina. Its water score is within 2.1 points of the state average, meaning its overall water system performance is broadly representative of North Carolina as a whole.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Carteret County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Carteret County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Carteret County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Carteret County

Consumer Confidence Reports (NC)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in North Carolina

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

62

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

11K

10,551 total readings

Most Measured

  • Microbiological
  • Physical
  • Nutrient

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Free tool

Estimate Your Water Costs

Water Cost Estimate

3

3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Carteret County:D — Poor

Elevated violations or significant watershed impairment.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Carteret County, North Carolina?
Carteret County, North Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 55.1/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 7 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Carteret County?
Carteret County has 7 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Carteret County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 10,551 measurements from 62 monitoring sites in Carteret County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Microbiological, Physical, Nutrient. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
How does Carteret County water compare to the North Carolina average?
Carteret County's SDWIS water quality score of 55.1/100 is higher than the North Carolina state average of 53.0. The average water quality grade across North Carolina is D, based on data from 100 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Carteret County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Carteret County has a water quality grade of C (55.1/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Why does Carteret County have so many water violations?
Carteret County has 7 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Carteret County rank for water quality in North Carolina?
Carteret County ranks #45 out of 100 counties in North Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 55.1/100, it falls in the middle third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Hertford County

North Carolina

C

55.6

Water score

Onslow County

North Carolina

C

55.7

Water score

Wake County

North Carolina

C

55.7

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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